WILL WOMAN BE BIRD FEEDER OF ALCATRAZ?

CHICAGO TRIBUNE

You've heard of the Birdman of Alcatraz? He could be joined soon by the birdwoman of Westchester County.

A dispute between neighbors has a woman looking at a possible $250 fine or 15 days in jail. Her offense? Placing a standard-sized bird feeder in her back yard without getting a permit from this New York City suburb.

"If it's a crime to feed birds, then they are going to have to put me in jail," said Suzanne Levy, who was hauled into court in mid-May. "I'm amazed that City Hall could take this much time to come after me when I'm only doing what eight out of 10 Americans do."

The neighbor who complained, Joyce Alfano, said the problem is not the bird feeder but a knee-high table underneath it that catches seeds.

"Twenty-five pigeons can land on that table at a time," Alfano said. "We had to power-wash the side of the house to get the droppings off. There were droppings the size of silver dollars on the driveway."

Levy said she put the catcher under the feeder only because she was ordered to do so by the city Health Department. The department told her that letting seeds fall on the ground is a health violation.